Evener for drafting mechanisms



March 20, 1956 J. R. WHITEHURST 2,738,554

EVENER FOR DRAFTING MECHANISMS Filed NOV. 14, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l J'oE R. WHITEH uRsT,

INVENTOR.

b gdl/ ATTORNEY March 20, 1956 J. R. WHITEHURST EVENER FOR-DRAFTING MECHANISMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 14, 1952 ATTORNEY v s I Q 2,738,554 L EvENER non DRAFTING MECHANISMS roe R, Whiteliurst, Bessemer City, N. (1., assignor to Ideal Industries, Inc., Bessemer City, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina i-This invention relates to apparatus, for drawing or drafting textile strands of roving or sliver, of the type llni t atefi iO which is provided in association with drawing frames,

spinning machines, roving machines and the like, and it is therprimary object of this invention to provide an evener apparatus in conjunction with the drawing rolls wherein a plurality of strands of sliver or roving are drafted simultaneously, which evener varies the speed at which each strand is fed through the drawing rolls in accordance with variations in the density and/or thickness of the individual strands so the strands issuing from between the t'delivery rolls, although attenuated, have greater uniformity than do the original strands.

., Asis well known to those familiar with the art, drawing frames comprise a series of pairs of intermeshing fluted rolls, positioned one pair in advance of another, through which a plurality of strands of roving are fed, each successive pair of rolls being driven at a slightly higher peripheral=speed than the preceding pair so as to produce the desired draft. The attenuated strands issuing from between the delivery rolls are gathered into a trumpet and fed into a coiler.

Now, the density and/or thickness of each individual strand is inconsistent throughout its length in advance of being drafted and one strand might have closely adjacent successive thick and thin places therein while an immediately adjacent strand may haverelatively thick places spaced substantially far apart from each other an also, the thick places are irregularly interspersed through the length of each strand. Accordingly, heretofore,, this uneveness in the strands would be more pronounced after the strands had been drafted than before they were drafted due to the fact that all of the strands were. caused to pass through the drawing rolls at the same speed regardless of any variations in density and/ or thickness of the individual strands. I I

It istherefore another object of this invention to provide, i a machine having a plurality of sets of top and bottom drawing rolls, a fluted common bottom feed roll spaced in advance of the bottom roll of a first set of top and bottom rolls, a plurality of relatively narrow fluted top feed rolls disposed above and meshing with the bottom.

feed roll with means for directing an individual strand of roving or sliver between each of the individual top feed rolls and the common bottom feed roll and with individual means for applying downward pressure to each of the top feed rolls so that the effective pitch diameters of the individual'top feed rolls and the common bottom feed rolls arerelatively increased and decreased as respective thick andthin places in the individual strands pass therebe tween;

This results in the outer surfaces of the intermeshing flutes of thetop and bottom feed rolls being spaced further fromtheflcorresponding roots or bottoms of the grooves defining said flutes when relatively thick places in the strands are passing therebetween than when relatively thin places in the strands are passing therebetween. Accordingly, the relatively thick places engage substantially less surfacearea on the adjacent portions of the top and bottom fluted feed rolls than do the relatively thin places thereby causing relatively thick places in the strands to be fed at slower speeds than relatively thin places.

This causes the relatively thick places to be attenuated substantially more than the relatively thin places although relatively thick and thin places may pass between corresponding top feed rolls and the bottom feed roll simultaneously as they are directed to the next adjacent set of top and bottom drawing rolls.

It isvobvious that, since the thick places are attenuated a greater amount than the thin places between the feed rolls and the succeeding set of top and bottom drafting rolls, the resultant strands issuing from the delivery rolls will have a greater uniformity than the original strands and, also, agreater uniformity than it has heretofore been possible to achieve with the conventional types of feed rolls; that is, wherein a common top feeding roll is pro vided for all of the strands.

- Some of the objects of the invention having been stated,

other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of a drawing frame showing one form of the improved evener apparatus in association therewith;

v Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged illustration of a few strands of roving or sliver wherein variations in thickness or densityof adjacent strands are exaggerated to illustrate the condition of such strands before they are passed through the improved evener mechanism in association with the drawing rolls of a drawing frame or the like;

Figure is an enlarged view of the adjacent portions of one of the evener feed rolls and the corresponding bottom roll with a relatively thick or dense place in a strand of roving or sliver passing therebetween, the bottom roll being shown in cross-section;

Figure, 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing a relatively .thin place in a strand of roving or sliver pass ing between the rolls;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view, mostly in elevation, taken substantially along the line 5--5 in Figure 1;

Figure 6is a fragmentary perspective view looking at the-rear end of one of the pivoted brackets which support the improved evener feed rolls and showing the relative positions of one of the evener feed rolls and the bottom feed roll;

- Figure 7tis an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 7-7 in Figure 1 and showing the manner in which one of the improved evener feed rolls is mounted;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 8-8 in Figure 7;

' Figure 9 is afragmentary sectional plan view, mostly in elevation, taken substantially along the line 99 in Figure 7 andshowing one form of means for effecting downward pressure to the evener top rolls;

Figure 10 is a plan view similar to the left-hand portion of Figure 1, showing a modified form of means for supporting the pivoted brackets having the improved evener top rolls mounted therein;

7 Figure -11 is a fragmentary perspective view, with parts fibrous strands such as a spinning frame, roving. frame or the like.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 5, the numeral indicates spaced bearing stands which are suitably secured toa-c'ommonframe member 11' and to the upper surface of each of which a plurality of substantially- U-shaped bearing blocks 12 are adjustably secured, there being four of the bearing blocks 12 shown on each of the bearingstands 10.

Fluted bottom drawing rolls' 13, 14, 1S and 16 are journaled in the bearing blocks 12, thebottomroll 13 being a feed roll, the rolls 14 and 15 being intermediate drawing or drafting rolls and the bottomroll 16 being adelivery drawing roll. The intermediate and delivery drawing rolls 14, 1'5 and 16 have respective intermediate and delivery top rolls 20, 21 and 22 resting thereupon and being journaled at opposite ends thereof in suitable corresponding bearings 23 mounted for vertical movement in the corresponding bearing blocks 12. The top rolls 20, 21 and 22 may also be fluted for as much of their length as the fluted portions of the respective bottom rolls 14, 15 and 16, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, or they may be covered with a suitable resilient material such as rubber, leather and the like as is well known to those familiar with the art.

The bottom rolls 13, 14, 15 and 16 are positively driven by suitable gearing, not shown, but the top rolls are driven generally through their relationship to the bottom rolls and through the intervening strands gen-- erally designated at S. The intermediate and front or delivery top rolls 2%), 21 and 22 are resiliently urged downwardly against the respective bottom rolls 14, 15' and 16 by corresponding weight hooks 24 which bear on the bearing sleeves 23, and extend downwardly be-- neath the bottom rolls 14, 15 and 16 and are connected to suitable means which, in this instance, are shown in the form of leaf spring members 25 suitably secured to' These leaf spring members 25 may be substantially of the type disclosed in my co-pending application entitled Spring Pressure Means for Drafting Mechanisms, Serial. Number 310,979, and filed September 23, 1952. The bottom feed roll 13 and each successive pair of rolls 14, 20, 15, 21 and 16, 22, proceeding from left to right in Figure 5 are driven at progressively higher speeds to produce the desired draft in the strands of roving or slivers S. A conventional cover 30 surmounts the drafting" rolls or drawing rolls and is pivoted at its-rear end, as at 31 on standards 32 carried by the bearing stands 10 and its front edge rests upon the front or foremost bearing blocks 12 in the usual manner.

Thestrands S are directed to the drawing rolls from a suitable source, not shown, and converge forwardly from the deli-very rolls 16 and 22 and are gathered into a suitable trumpet 34 positioned above a pair of calender rolls 33 and 33a for directing the condensed strands S into a suitable container such as a can carried by a coiler, not shown. Each of the bearing stands 10 has a rearwardly projecting arm 36 integral therewith, to the upper surface of which a horizontal plate or apron 35 is suitably secured.

The parts heretofore described are conventional parts of a drawing frame or the like and it is with such an organization of parts that the-present invention is adapted to be associated.

Heretofore, a top roll has been provided abovethe bottom feed roll 13 which was substantially the same as the top rolls 2E), 21 and 22 and extended the'full length of the top of the bottom feed roll.l3. Accordingly, when the strands of slivers or roving .S were 'directed between the bottom feed roll 13 and the corresponding top roll, any variations in the density or thickness'of the strands would not individually affect the effective pitch diameters of the top and bottom feed rolls- Thus, all of the strands would be fedto thesuc ceeding set of drawing rolls which, in this instance, are the drawing rolls 14 and 20, at the same speed with the result that the slivers issuing from the delivery rolls 16 and 22, would still be uneven throughout their lengths as to density or thickness thereof.

Now, in order to correct this condition, I have provided a plurality of evener top rolls or evener feed rolls 37 which are arranged in a substantially axial row aboveand in engagement with the common bottom feed. roll 13, there being one of these evener rolls 3.7' for each of the strands S. These rolls 37 are fluted about their peripheries, the spacing of the flutes on the individual evener rolls 37 corresponding to the spacing of the flutes on the common bottom feed roll 13.

Each of the evener rolls 37 is individually supported in a manner to be later described to permit movement thereof substantially radially of the bottom roll 13 so that, upon a relatively thick or dense place D (Figures 2 and 3) in one of the strands S passing'beneath anyone or more of the evener top rolls-37 as shown inFigure- 3,; and a relatively thin place T passing beneath any one'or' more of the other evener top rolls 37, as shown in Figure' 4, the thick place D raises the corresponding roll or rolls 37 substantially further from the bottom roll 13 than the roll or rolls 37 are raised by the relatively thi'rr places T.

The evener top rolls 37 are weighted or urged downwardly toward the bottom roll 13, by means to be present'- ly described, and, accordingly, the flutes thereof force the corresponding strands S downwardly between the corresponding flutes of the bottom feed roll 13. Thus, it is evident that the relatively thin places T'in the strands are forced deeper into the grooves between adjacent flutes at the proximal surfaces of the evener top rolls 37 and the bottom roll 13 than are the relatively thick places D, requiring a substantially greater length of the sliver to pass between the adjacent surfaces of the rolls 13 and 37 at given surface speeds when a thin place T is passing beneath any one or more of the evener top rolls 37 than is the case when relatively thick places D are passing between the proximal portions of others of the evener top rolls 37 and the bottom feed roll 13.

It is therefore evident that the individual evener top rolls 37 cause the thin places to be fed between the same and the common bottom feed roll 13 at avfaster speed than the thick places, as the slivers are pulled forwardly and attenuated by the succeeding set of drawing rolls 14 and 20, with the result that the relatively thin places T in each individual strand S are attenuated to a lesser degree than the thick places D in adjacent strands S. Thus, all of the strands S are of substantially" uniform density and/or thickness as they pass from the 37 is made in the form of an externally fluted tubular shell which is fixed, as by a pressed fit, on an outer race 43 of an anti-friction hearing. The outer race 43 engages a pair of circular rows of balls 44. The balls 44 ride in corresponding peripheral grooves 45 in the periphery of a relatively short shaft 46 which, thus, serves as an inner race to the anti-friction bearing. Suitable lubricant seals 47 are provided at opposite ends of the outer race 43 to prevent lubricant from leaking from between the outer race 43 and the shaft 46. Although each evener top roll 37 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 46 "by Each of the shafts 46 is fixed at opposite ends thereof in'spaced ears 50 of a bracket broadly designated at 51 P po 6 and between which ears the corresponding evener top feed roll 37 is disposed. Each of the brackets 51 is preferably made from sheet metal, as shown in the drawings, but may be of cast or built-up welded construction if desired. The ears 50 extend rearwardly and are bent inwardly toward each other and formed integral with corresponding side wall portions 52 which are the legs of a U-shaped portion defining a trough 53 which is alined'slightly below the juncture of the evener roll 37 and the common. bottom feed roll 13 for directing the corresponding strand ofroving or sliver S between the. corresponding evener roll 37 and the common bottom.

feed roll 13. j v

The'rearportion of each bracket51 is bent downwardly at opposite sides thereof in a substantially in ve'rted U-shaped manner to form spaced parallel cars 55 which are pivotally mounted on a pivot shaft 56. Opposite ends of the pivot shaft 56 ,are fixed'in a, substantially U-shaped clevis or standard 58 suitablyjsecured; as by a bolt 57,"to a transverse bar 60 disposed rearwardly of the bottom feed roll 13'and resting upon the plate 35. r n I All of the standards 58 are secured. to the common bar 60 and the plate 35 is provided with a plurality. of holes 61 which are arranged in forwardly and rearwardly extending rows for the reception of bolts 62 for adjust: ablysecuringthe bar 60 to the plate 35. Since the relative positions of the drawing rolls must be varied according to the variations in the length of staple of the material forming the strands S theflholes .61 facilitate adjustment of the evener rolls 37 to correspond .with forward and rearward adjustment of "the bottom feed roll 13 relative to the roll stands 10. It is evident that the holes 61 may be formed as slots or the plate 35 may be provided with 'adjustment slots through which the bolts 62 extend, if desired.

There are variousways in which the top evener rolls 37 may be urged downwardly toward the common bottom feed roll 13 and thepreferred means tothis end is shownin Figures 5, 6, 7 and9 wherein it will be observed that the rear end of the leaf spring member 64 is secured between each of the standards 58 and the bar 60 by leaf spring members' being omitted and, instead,e a ch of the connecting rods 67" extends downwardly below" the level'of the plate 35. and has a weight member 75 fixed thereon roams urge-the evenerroll 37 down wardly toward the common bottom "feedroll 13. The

through which the conne'ctingrod's 67 extend.

Now, in order'to maintainf the top evener feed rolls 37 in proper relation tothe bottom feed roll 13' as the corresponding memos; bearing blocks 12' are adjusted forwardly and rearwardly relative to the roll standslO,

plate 35' is cut away.to;for m anIopening 76- therein opposite endsof the bar '60 each has an upwardly and forwardly projecting 77 integral therewith or'suita ably. secured thereto and the front end of each of the arms '77 has an outwardly projecting journal portion 80' integral therewith which is bfslightly less diameter than the width of the groove in the, corresponding bearing block 12'. Thus," as"the rearmost bearing blocks '12" are adjusted forwardlyand rearwardly, to vary the position of the commoribottom feed roll 13' relative to the succeeding sets of rolls' and tlieroll stands 10', the lower surface of the bar 60"is. caused to move in sliding engagement with the upper'surface of the plate to thereby maintain the: evener feed rolls 37 in substantially ver tical alinement with theicomrnon bottom feed roll 13".

' It is thus seen that-"I havefprovided a unique evener mechanism for draftinglmechanisms to cause a plurality of adjacent strands of roving fo'r'sliver to be fed to the drafting rolls at varying speeds relative to each other according to variations in .thelthiCkness or density of the adjacent strands and to thereby'cause thestrands having relatively thick places therein to beattenuated to a greater extent'than th ethin places in adjacent strands to thereby substantially equalize thedensity of the strands throughout their lengthsupon being 'drafted. v

In theprocess offdrafting strands of sliver or roving heretofore, the conventional types of top and bottom feed rolls have causedsonie improvement in the uni- A formity of the strandsas they issued from the delivery means of the bolts. 57 heretofore described. Each of the leaf spring members 64 has a relatively narrow tab 65 at the front end thereof which rests in a hook portion 66 of an upwardly extending rod 67. The upper end of the connecting rod 67 is provided with another book portion 70 thereon which loosely penetrates a down- Modified form of the invention In Figures 10 to 13, inclusive, there is shown a modified or second form of the invention which differs from the other form of the invention shown in Figures 1, 5, 6, 7 and 9 only as to the manner in which the evener rolls are weighted and mounted for adjustment forwardly and rearwardly. Therefore, those parts which are identical in the modified form of the invention to the parts shown in the original form of the invention (Figures 1, 5, 6, 7 and 9) shall bear the same reference characters with the prime notation added.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 10 to 13, inclusive, the standards 58' are secured directly to the upper surface of the common transverse bar 60', the

rolls. However, to my knowledge, the variations in thicknessor densityof thestrands have not been improved inexcess fof 'seventeenper cent. Experiments with the improved evener mechanism have improved the uniformity of the strands up tummy-ram cent.

In theJdrawings and specification there has beenset forth ajpreferred' embodiment of the invention and altho'tigh specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitatiomthescope of the invention being defined in the claims. T

I claim: 7

1. In a drafting mechanism having a frame and aplurality of successive sets of top and bottom draftingvrolls driven at progressively "increasing speeds for attenuating a plurality of strands of roving, sliver and the like; the

combination of a driven common fluted bottom feed roll disposed in advance of a first of said sets of top and bottom drafting rolls, a plurality of relatively narrow brackets pivoted on the frame at a point in advance of the common bottom feed roll, a fluted top evener roll rotatably supported by each of said pivoted brackets mon bottom roll solely in accordance with the thickness of the strand at the nip of said evener roll and said common bottom roll.

2. In a drafting mechanism having a frame and a plurality of successive sets of top and bottom drafting rolls driven at progressively increasing speeds for attenuating a plurality of strands of roving, sliver and the like; the

combination of a driven common bottom fluted feed olls... plural y 0t relatiuely narr w. bracke s. ni o llysupported on. thetrame at, a-.;point, i advance. of. the

common;bottormflutedieed X'Oliyfi: fluted top evener, roll o atab y supported. by each of aid. piv ted r kets above said common bottomv roll resilient. means. connested; to each; of; said brackets for. urging the corresponding evener. roll, towardgthe common bottom. feed roll, each of said bracketsacomprising a substantially U-shaped trough having; its upper surface disposed in:

substantial. alinement, with. the. junctures. of, the corresPOndingevencr roll andthe...common. bottom feed roll, apair of. cars extending forwardly from the sideportions. oil the substantially U-sbape d. trough, a. shaft car,- ried by and extendinghetween said ears and? on which the. corresponding. evener roll isv rotatably mo nt d,. a'

and bottom. 'd'ratting; rolls. ,rotatabl y supported. in some.

of. said bearing blocks; the. contbinationof. a. driven, common bottomv flutedi feed roll disposed in advance of the sets. of top and bottom drafting. rolis and being journale'd in the U-shaped grooves of. others of the bearing blocks, a plurality of fluted. relatively narrow evener rolls, above the common bottom roll, a'resp'ective bracket for each. of said evener rolls comprising, a substantially ,U shaped trough memberjhavinga pair of ears extending forwardly therefrom astride thccorrespoudi ng evener 11011, means rotatabl'y supporting. said corresponding evener 170.1! between said cars, a common transverse bar disposed in advance of the common bottom'froll, means pivotally connecting the rear ends of said brackets to said common transverse bar, said common transverse bar having a pair of arms, one each extendihg upwardly and forwardly at an angle from each end. of the common transverse bar, each of said arms having an outwardly projecting journal portion integral therewith adapted to fit in the corresponding U-shaped groove 'of the corresponding bearing block in which th bottom feed' roll is journal'ed whereby, upon adjustment of the bearing blocks for varying the position of the common bottom feed roll relative othese s o ra ti g o s p itiq s e ner.-

rolls will, automatically. be varied. accordingly to thereby insure that the evener rolls are maintained in constant axialrelationship to the common bottom. feed roll, and

blocks, each provided with a bearing groove therein, a plurality of sets of top and bottom drafting rolls rotat ably supported. in some of said bearing blocks and said QttQm aft g l s. e n v the com t n. o a driven common bottom fluted feed roll disposed in ad; Vance oi the sets of top and bottom drafting rolls and I being journaled in the bearing grooves of others ofi said bearing blocks, a plurality of fluted individual evener roll's positioned above the common bottom roll, an in;

dividual bracketindependently supporting each of said evener rolls, a common transverse bar disposed in. ad-

' vance of the common bottom roll, means pivotally connecting said brackets. to said common transverse bar, resilient means associated with said brackets and urging said individual evener rolls toward the common bottom roll', said individual evener rolls being movable away from said commort bottom roll solely upon and in accordance with variations in the thickness of the corresponding strand at the nip of said common bottom roll with the corresponding evener roll, means connecting the common transverse bar with the bearing bloclts in which the bottom feed roll is journaled whereby adjustment of said; bearing blocks for adjusting the position of the common bottom feed roll relative to the sets of drafting rolls will cause a like adjustment of the individual evener rolls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 802,492 Birch Oct. 24, 1905 874,715 Westcott et a1 Dec. 24, 1 907 1,994,052 Stone Mar. 12, 1935 2,260,130- Armstrong et a1. Oct. 21, 1941 

